Casing for lightning arresters



Dec. 13 1927. 1,652,990

1.. R. GOLLADAY CASING FOR LIGHTNING ARRESTERS Filed Jan .14, 1927 WINESSES: INVENTOR 4 Lawrence RGolladoy.

' ATTORNEY l atented Dec. 13, 19275 uirao STATES mean-anon n. GOLLADAY, or user rrrrsnonerr, rnmrsirnvnn'm, nssrenoa r wnsrmenoosn .nnncrmo a wor-Ao'roame conrnmr. A conronnrrou or lil'lhl" SYLVANIA.

cnsme non Lronrnmo n'nansrmi Application filed Ianuary 14, 192?. flerial No; 181,088.

My invention relates to electric protective devices, such. as lightning arresters.

More particularly myinvention relates to a novel lightning-arrester casing which is a particularly adapted to be used with anarjrester'of the auto-valve type or with a rotective device of any similar type w ich comprises a quantity of discharge material. One of the objects of my invention is to '10 provide a lightning-arrester casing having small enternal'dimensions and a relatively large spark-gap chamber.

Another object of my invention is to provide a lightning arrester casing which comis prises means for securing and maintaining the spark-gap electrodes in definite space relation.-

Still another object of my invention is to provide a lightning-arrester casing which so comprises means for retaining discharge members within a discharge-gap chamber; In the accompanying drawing, the sin le figure is a fragmentary view, partly in e evation and part1 in section, showing a at preferred embodiment of my invention,

A cylindrical porcelain casing 1 is provided with a lower cylindrical chamber 2 comprising a discharge-gap chambermin which are a set of disks or plates, 3 of highto resistance material surmounted by a compression spring 4 holding the disks in inti mate contact. 'A flexible strap member 5 of conducting material is provided for shunting current from the spring. a In the upper portion'6 of the casing is disposed a cylindrical spark-gap chamber 7 of larger diameter than the discharge-gap chamber and co-axially adjacent t thereby forming aledge 8 at the bottom or so the discharge-gap chamber. A depending electrode 9 is disposed within the larger chamber and is connected to the casting by means of a stud-bolt 10 screwed into a projecting portion 12 of the cap 13 suras mounting the device.

The lodge or seat 8 around the bottom of the upper chamber 7 is cut away to provide a central annular well or depression 14. having a second ledge 15 of smaller diamean ter. A porcelain disk-like partition member 16, separating the upper and lower chamhers, is disposed within the well and is glazed to the face" thereof. The partition mober has a central perforation 17 in to which an upwardly projecting electrode 18 ereto,

is securely fastened, as by means of a studbolt 19.

Heretofore, auto-valve .lightning-arrester casings have been provided with single chambers of uniform diameter in which both the disks and spark-gap electrodes were disposed, one on top of the other. The. sparkap, electrodes were insecurely'separated y means of a porcelain washer .or collar which failed to maintainthe spaced relation between the electrodes. This method of providing the gap was unsatisfactory, owing to the fact that, during transportation or installation of the lightnin arrester, the electrodes occasionally slippe from their original positions to a spacmg diflerent from that. which was most satisfactory for proper operation.

.Ameans for securing the spark-gap elec trodes rigidly to the casing has heretofore been greatly desired by workers in the art but no satisfactory method ofso doing was developed, owing to the diflicultiesincident A to the roper. method. of manufacturing such casings as haveheretofore' been used. The most satisfactory method of making porcelain lightning-arrester casingsis by pugging or extrudm and subsequently} firing the material. ile this method is most satisfactory, as to properties of the ma terial, it is restricted as to-the forms which may be made thereby. I It is apparent that it would be extremely diflicult to manufacture,

by pugging a casin having a partition such as has been herein eforedescribed.

By my invention I provide a lightningarrester casing which may be made by pugging, and thus retain all the characteristic advantages of material so made and which, in addition, will have a partition rigidly attached thereto. y.

In addition, by eliminating the spacing collar or washer,I am able to increase the efiective internal diameter of the spark-gap chamber, as compared to smaller prior devices, thereby increasing the creepage dirtanoe between electrodes. 1

The porcelain disc-like partition member may be made from dry moldedporcelain. Thus, any specified dimensions may be very accurately adhered to. By this method of mounting the spark-gap electrodes, an definite space relation ma be obtaine and maintained throughout the life of the device.

Although I have described my invention with respect to a specific embodiment there of, it is apparent that it is not limited to the details shown, and I desire that the appended claims shall be accorded the broadest inter retation consistent with their wording an the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A protective device comprising an ex cess-voltage discharging means and a series protective spark-gap, a tubular casing having two adjacent co-axial chambers of different cross-sectional areas, thereby providing a shoulder, a disc-like partition member secured to the shoulder, a spark-gap electrode secured to the partition member and projecting into the chamber having the larger cross-sectional area, a cover member secured to the end of the casing which encloses said larger chamber, and a second spark-gap electrode secured to the cover member and projecting into the larger chamber in spaced relation to said first-mentioned spark-gap electrode.

2. A protective device comprising an ex cess-voltage discharging means and a series protective spark-gap, a porcelain tubular casing having two adjacent co-axial chan1- bers of dilferent cross-sectional areas, thereby providing a shoulder, a porcelain disclike partition member glazed to the shoulder, a spark-gap electrode secured to the partition member and projecting into the chamber having the larger cross-sectional area, a cover member secured to the end of the casing which encloses said larger chamher, and a second spark-gap electrode secured to the cover member and projecting into the larger chamber in spaced relation to said first mentioned spark-gap electrode, said discharging means being disposed in the smaller chamber.

3. The combination with a lightningposed within the enlarged portion of the chamber, one of said electrodes being secured to the partltion member, and discharge members disposed within the small portion of the chamber, said discharge members having the property of freely discharging currents only during the existence and continuance of excess-voltage conditions.

5. .The combination with a tubular lightning-arrester casing having a spark-gap chamber containing two spark-gap electrodes spaced apart and a discharge-gap chamber co-axially adjacent thereto, opening into the spark-gap chamber and containing a plurality of discharge elements, of a separate partition member interposed between the chambers and fastened to the casing, thereby securing one of the electrodes to the casing and closing theopening between the chambers, and a cap closing the end of the casing which surrounds the sparlogap chamber, the second mentioned spark-gap electrode being secured to said cap.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 10th day of January, 1927. I

LAWRENCE R. GOLLADAY. 

